Flatties

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Cisco · #1 Post by **Cisco** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:43 pm

Hi All,

Has any of you some advise on catching flatties? Meaning tides, weather, daytime or at night?

Thanks,

-F

#2 Post by **ian 123** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:42 pm

i heard (although never caught flatties!) that any tied rain or shine there are flatties. i recomend you use rotten bottom rigs with shellfish bait hope thats help
ian

x · #3 Post by x » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:57 pm

Conventional wisdom (I'll come back to this at the end) suggests that darkness on the trailing edge of a bit of blow on the larger tides is the time to tackle flounder etc from the shore. After a bit of a blow, the waves will still be churning up the tide edge, releasing food that the flatties can easily scoff. The water will also be a bit coloured, providing a bit of cover to what are supposed to be shy fish. We're told that a rising tide is best.

Now, all my best catches last year were from gin clear water when it was reasonably calm - and on neap tides - both rising and falling. If anything, fishing fell off after dusk.

Now, flatfish hunt largely by sight, we're told. So you'd expect things to drop off in darkness. Most times in most places, flattie fishing improves after dark as the fish come in closer to shore under cover of darkness.

So, conventional wisdom might work most times, on most venues. But the best advice I can offer is to pick a venue and try different times of day/night, states of tide, points in the monthly tidal/lunar cycle etc and see what works for you. I usually feel most 'optimistic' fishing a low tide up into darkness on a large tide with a couple of nice breakers hitting the beach, but lately, these haven't produced the best catches.....

BTW, you'd be fishing onto sand/silt/mud (ie 'clean' ground) for flatties so the rotten bottom wouldn't be needed, usually.

#4 Post by **beachcaster** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:08 pm

try an incomeing tide during daylight ,spoons and beads cane work in clear water as flatties are very inqusitive fish.fish fairly close in and move the bait every now and then to attract the fish.best bait is usually lug ragworm tipped of with a bit of makerel,alough on some beaches where they can be found razor fish can do the job.light snoods of 15/20lb will help with bait presentation.hope this helps get out and try it the flatties should be showing soon after spawning.

x · #5 Post by x » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:18 pm

I've heard of some very good bags of big flounder caught from both the extreme north and south coasts in the last 2 weeks so presumably they'll be about in targetable numbers in most places by now. Seems a bit early to me, but then I'm not a fish. Might be a bit later on the east coast, mind you.

Conventional wisdom out the window again..... :lol: You'd have thought that with all the cold NE wind we've had for the last 2 months that if anything, the flatties would be later coming back into the shallows.......

If there are a couple of venues you are looking at fishing, post them up and we'll see if anyone has any local knowledge.

#6 Post by **col** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:25 pm

Hi, for me, I have found clear water best where I do most of my fishing, but there is a spot or two that produce better in coloured water, so I guess it depends on venue.

I'm talking about dabs and flounders here as I have only ever caught one mini plaice.

Beads and attractors are meant to be great for all flats and certainly have proved themselves, so I would say stick a few on your rig but I have never actually found a better catch rate with them.

Now I do not have a great knowledge on this at all, but this is what I have found, I do most of my fishing during daytime and they certainly show then anyway. Sorry I can't help more or be more specific.

col

#7 Post by **stevecrow74** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 11:27 pm

out of all the flatties i've caught (which is alot), ive come to the conclusion that every beach fishes differently..

some fish well on low tide and first two hours of incoming,
another fishes well after dark no matter what tide,
another fishes well on an outgoing tide only and after dark,
and another doesn't fish well unless you tip with squid.

it takes alot of fishing any beach to find out when and where to fishand what bait to use..

one think i've noticed that works with all beaches, is a long thin strip of mackerel and fresh squid tied on the hook with bait elastic... always works for me

#8 Post by **pete** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 12:22 pm

I'm curious about the squid for flatties Steve, does it really work? I've never really even considered using it for them instead sticking to worms, shellfish and mack.

#9 Post by **petekd** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 4:12 pm

I've found squid or silver mack belly strip to be deadly for flats around Dunree Pete.

#10 Post by **BigPhil** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:10 pm

it really depends on each venue, they all have their own best ways and tides to be fished

#11 Post by **fish4fun** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:31 pm

pete wrote:I'm curious about the squid for flatties Steve, does it really work? I've never really even considered using it for them instead sticking to worms, shellfish and mack.

When I fish a local estuary here in England for flounder I find that tipping off ragworm with a long thin strip of squid often is the killer bait. The usual is to tip off with mackeral but sometimes squid does the trick. Even had it beating fresh crab in the summer. I cut it about 2 - 3 inches long and about 1/4 - 1/2 inch wide. Give it a go you might be suprised.

#12 Post by **BigPhil** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:35 pm

that tactic definately works for plaice f4f

Cisco · #13 Post by **Cisco** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:11 am

Thanks a lot lads. This gets me going.

-F

#14 Post by **pete** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 5:11 pm

Cool..gonna try a little bit this week then and see what happens.